The Mater hospital - Oh holy jesus!!

subscriber

Im living in dublin on a short term basis and today had to spend 10 hours in the mater (public) hospital today due to unforeseeable circumstances, I have never in my life witnessed such a low standard of hygiene in any hospital or any other public health premises for that matter.

The stink of piss in the emergency department waiting room is enough to make anyone throw up not to mention the amount of junkies and prisoners from the joy across the road falling around the place either on a come down from some illicit substance or starting arguments with other patients and generally being loud, arrogant and annoying.

Once finally in the treatment area, I was seen by one of the junior (teenage) doctors who proceeded to examine me without either washing his hands or putting on a pair of sterile gloves. I also noticed a few needle caps (non sharp) just discarded on treatment trolley's after doctors had finished hanging drips for patients. On another clinical table, a doctor had finished treating a patient and there was a relatively small patch of blood left on the bed clothes.. Did he clean it up before the next patient?? You guessed it....

For the love of Jesus like, if you work in a hospital like, infection control is medicine 101 here folks....

At the end of my visit I was offered an overnight stay for a minor surgery tomorrow morning but considering it wasn't immediately life threatening I declined having decided to have it done when I go back to my home county in a few weeks and proceeded to leg it out the door, god forbid would I pick up some weird and wonderful disease.....

I'm seriously considering writing a letter to HIQUA after my experiences there today...

Venture to the mater if you must but you would not want to be sick going in there or your prob better off staying at home....

Are other hospitals in dublin like this or is it just the mater? Today was the first time I attended a hospital in dublin so I don't know how it stacks up to the other hospitals??

AngryBollix

What does one expect when cutbacks are enforced?

You never get more with less.

You get less with less

jetsonx

The current third-world state of the health service is a result of years of
HSE and Fianna Fail mismanagement.

BTW, most senior HSE "executives" and Fianna Fail politicians get treated
privately.

antodeco

HIQUA? That's the noise I make when I catch my goolies in my zip.

AngryBollix

jetsonx wrote: »

The current third-world state of the health service is a result of years of
HSE and Fianna Fail mismanagement.

BTW, most senior HSE "executives" and Fianna Fail politicians get treated
privately.

Why has it been allowed to continue for so long?

cloud493

Hospitals have to do the best they can with what they have. If they don't have the money, they don't have the money. Cutbacks and what not.

subscriber

AngryBollix wrote: »

What does one expect when cutbacks are enforced?

You never get more with less.

You get less with less

So cutbacks mean that doctors no longer have to adhere by infection control and hygiene standards?? They no longer have to wear gloves and clean up blood after patients and do not have to dispose of needle caps in bins??

Come on man... think about ur statement!!

Phoenix Park

Were you in A&E for OCD?

AngryBollix

cloud493 wrote: »

Hospitals have to do the best they can with what they have. If they don't have the money, they don't have the money. Cutbacks and what not.

If the €100 household was used to improve something like this would more people pay it?

cloud493

I dunno. Maybe.

Owen_S

Mary Harney/thread.

Victor_M

Was just thinking the same thing myself, washing your hands doesn't cost a penny, nor does disposing of used needles and materials.

It's just bad discipline/management.

We can't use cutbacks to justify everything that is wrong in Ireland.

BluesBerry

The mater is a kip I had to spend 4hrs between 11pm - 3am in a&e before christmas and I seen the dregs of society in that short space of time

One "patient" went around robbing peoples handbags in cubicals the gaurds were called and this animal resisted arrest creating a scene , junkies in the waiting room hanging around the coffee machine having very loud rows with each other , One very aggressive drunk giving the security man hell, A pregnant junkie battering in the door to get in to be seen

It was the most depressing scariest night of my life the staff there have a hell of a lot to put up with and they have to be admired working in that sh1thole night after night

AngryBollix

subscriber wrote: »

So cutbacks mean that doctors no longer have to adhere by infection control and hygiene standards?? They no longer have to wear gloves and clean up blood after patients and do not have to dispose of needle caps in bins??

Come on man... think about ur statement!!

Is this true of all doctors in the mater?

subscriber

Phoenix Park wrote: »

Were you in A&E for OCD?

Pretty sure OCD has nothing to do with hygiene standards. If ur comfortable with it that's your decision. I didn't mention in my OP but I too work in the healthcare sector and would never be so careless in my daily activities dealing with patients, although I do see it in my own place of work with some of my colleagues unfortunately. Thankfully not to the level of which I seen in the mater today.

subscriber

AngryBollix wrote: »

Is this true of all doctors in the mater?

Of course Its not true of all the doctors in there and it would be stupid of me to make such a claim but I am commenting on what I seen overall based on todays visit...

AngryBollix

subscriber wrote: »

So cutbacks mean that doctors no longer have to adhere by infection control and hygiene standards?? They no longer have to wear gloves and clean up blood after patients and do not have to dispose of needle caps in bins??

Come on man... think about ur statement!!

Are you certain he didnt adhere to the practices you speak of?

AngryBollix

subscriber wrote: »

Of course Its not true of all the doctors in there and it would be stupid of me to make such a claim but I am commenting on what I seen overall based on todays visit...

Then it may not be a widespread practice.

Surely the cleaning staff are responsible for the other stuff (the smell and failure to clean up blood etc)

Phoenix Park

subscriber wrote: »

Pretty sure OCD has nothing to do with hygiene standards. If ur comfortable with it that's your decision. I didn't mention in my OP but I too work in the healthcare sector and would never be so careless in my daily activities dealing with patients, although I do see it in my own place of work with some of my colleagues unfortunately. Thankfully not to the level of which I seen in the mater today.

I am in medicine myself (not in the Mater). Maybe this thread would be best moved from After Hours if its a serious debate (on a serious issue) you are looking for?!

AngryBollix

subscriber wrote: »

Im living in dublin on a short term basis and today had to spend 10 hours in the mater (public) hospital today due to unforeseeable circumstances, I have never in my life witnessed such a low standard of hygiene in any hospital or any other public health premises for that matter.

The stink of piss in the emergency department waiting room is enough to make anyone throw up not to mention the amount of junkies and prisoners from the joy across the road falling around the place either on a come down from some illicit substance or starting arguments with other patients and generally being loud, arrogant and annoying.

Once finally in the treatment area, I was seen by one of the junior (teenage) doctors who proceeded to examine me without either washing his hands or putting on a pair of sterile gloves. I also noticed a few needle caps (non sharp) just discarded on treatment trolley's after doctors had finished hanging drips for patients. On another clinical table, a doctor had finished treating a patient and there was a relatively small patch of blood left on the bed clothes.. Did he clean it up before the next patient?? You guessed it....

For the love of Jesus like, if you work in a hospital like, infection control is medicine 101 here folks....

At the end of my visit I was offered an overnight stay for a minor surgery tomorrow morning but considering it wasn't immediately life threatening I declined having decided to have it done when I go back to my home county in a few weeks and proceeded to leg it out the door, god forbid would I pick up some weird and wonderful disease.....

I'm seriously considering writing a letter to HIQUA after my experiences there today...

Venture to the mater if you must but you would not want to be sick going in there or your prob better off staying at home....

Are other hospitals in dublin like this or is it just the mater? Today was the first time I attended a hospital in dublin so I don't know how it stacks up to the other hospitals??

Why else would you be going to the hospital?

Namlub

jetsonx wrote: »

The current third-world state of the health service is a result of years of
HSE and Fianna Fail mismanagement.

BTW, most senior HSE "executives" and Fianna Fail politicians get treated
privately.

Hardly...

AngryBollix

Victor_M wrote: »

Was just thinking the same thing myself, washing your hands doesn't cost a penny, nor does disposing of used needles and materials.

It's just bad discipline/management.

We can't use cutbacks to justify everything that is wrong in Ireland.

How would you explain it? Particularly the removal of needles and waste materials for wards and A&E etc.

Is this a job or doctors and nurses? The hand washing aspect is their responsility alone but the rest I'm not so sure about

Paulzx

AngryBollix wrote: »

Why else would you be going to the hospital?

If you spent any amount of time around A and E's in Dublin you would come to the completely illogical conclusion that i have come to.............hospital is no place for a sick person!!!!

subscriber

AngryBollix wrote: »

Then it may not be a widespread practice.

Surely the cleaning staff are responsible for the other stuff (the smell and failure to clean up blood etc)

Take it from me angry boilix, as mentioned, I also work in the healthcare sector, it is definitely the responsibility of the clinical practitioner whether he or she is a doctor, nurse, physio, paramedic, speech and language therapist or any other health care professional to clean up after clinical procedures and assessments with every patient , and there is no excuse.

It is the cleaners job to empty bins, mop floors and clean canteen areas, not to dispose of clinical waste post procedures.

MagicMarker

subscriber wrote: »

So cutbacks mean that doctors no longer have to adhere by infection control and hygiene standards?? They no longer have to wear gloves and clean up blood after patients and do not have to dispose of needle caps in bins??

Come on man... think about ur statement!!

What's wrong with needle caps? We're talking about what protects the needle before use yes? So what's so unhygienic about leaving a piece of plastic sitting on a bed?

Also, I don't think a doctor is required to wear gloves for an examination, of course it would depend on the what the examination entails.

DeVore

Maybe not third world, but speaking as someone who's job it was to visit clinics and hospitals in over a dozen countries (as an IT/Sales consultant).... Ireland is at best a second world in terms of medical care and standards.

hondasam

cloud493 wrote: »

Hospitals have to do the best they can with what they have. If they don't have the money, they don't have the money. Cutbacks and what not.

AngryBollix wrote: »

If the €100 household was used to improve something like this would more people pay it?

It's not our fault a doctor who should know better cannot be arsed to wash his hands. This has noting to do with cutbacks and everything to do with hygiene.
No this would not encourage me to pay the household charge.

AngryBollix

subscriber wrote: »

Take it from me angry boilix, as mentioned, I also work in the healthcare sector, it is definitely the responsibility of the clinical practitioner whether he or she is a doctor, nurse, physio, paramedic, speech and language therapist or any other health care professional to clean up after clinical procedures and assessments with every patient , and there is no excuse.

It is the cleaners job to empty bins, mop floors and clean canteen areas, not to dispose of clinical waste post procedures.

Are the doctors responsible for the stench of piss?

One can only presume that if it was in the emergency room a drunk or junkie dropped their jocks and pissed on the floor. Presumably this is beyond the doctors remit

beco2010

subscriber wrote: »

today had to spend 10 hours in the mater (public) hospital

count yourself lucky in many other A&E's around you could be waiting up to 19 hours

subscriber

Paulzx wrote: »

If you spent any amount of time around A and E's in Dublin you would come to the completely illogical conclusion that i have come to.............hospital is no place for a sick person!!!!

So quiet obviously that comment was not meant to be taken literally and was meant to be highlight the fact that you may stand a better chance of feeling better at home as opposed to going into that that dump that is crawing with infections and I really can't believe you decided to pick that out of my original post and embarrass yourself by not understanding when a joke is due...

AngryBollix

subscriber wrote: »

So quiet obviously that comment was not meant to be taken literally and was meant to be highlight the fact that you may stand a better chance of feeling better at home as opposed to going into that that dump that is crawing with infections and I really can't believe you decided to pick that out of my original post and embarrass yourself by not understanding when a joke is due...

Amateur mistake...

What infections? Quite clearly it wasnt a joke given your explanation

DeVore

Lets stay on topic and not get personal. </admin>

subscriber

AngryBollix wrote: »

What infections? Quite clearly it wasnt a joke given your explanation

What infections?? Sorry I forgot their is no infections to be caught in hospitals.... :rolleyes:

AngryBollix

subscriber wrote: »

What infections?? Sorry I forgot their is no infections to be caught in hospitals.... :rolleyes:

Did you catch one of these non existent infections?

seantorious

Having been in the mater for 6 months now its no where near as bad as you've described. And most of its existing problems stem from the fact that it has the 2nd highest number of alcholic or intoxicated patients in the world(Acapulco is 1st).

Ps most examinations don't require gloves, though the not washing hands thing is pretty bad

Icepick

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y-yH_Qyipc

take a chance, will ya

subscriber

Better off staying on topic here, my question remained at the end of my original post, how does the mater to stack up to other dublin hospitals in regards the attending clientele and hygiene standars? It is obviously worse so but in comparison with james's or any the others, is it that far behind?

AngryBollix

subscriber wrote: »

Better off staying on topic here, my question remained at the end of my original post, how does the mater to stack up to other dublin hospitals in regards the attending clientele and hygiene standars? It is obviously worse so but in comparison with james's or any the others, is it that far behind?

a) Why do you ask and b) How do you know?

KDII

subscriber wrote: »

The stink of piss in the emergency department waiting room is enough to make anyone throw up

I work in the healthcare sector too.

If actually do too, you will probably know that sick people are occasionally known to be incontinent. The ED staff can't exactly hose down the offender if they happen to smell bad, the person may not have been seen yet and the staff weren't sitting beside them like you were.

subscriber wrote: »

I was seen by one of the junior (teenage) doctors who proceeded to examine me without either washing his hands

Did you see him move from another patient to you without washing his hands? If so, unacceptable practice but not exactly a reflection of the hygiene practices of the entire hospital.

subscriber wrote: »

or putting on a pair of sterile gloves.

Unnecessary unless he was doing a sterile procedure.

subscriber wrote: »

I also noticed a few needle caps (non sharp) just discarded on treatment trolley's after doctors had finished hanging drips for patients.

Are you talking about the plastic caps that cover sharps? There is actually nothing dirty about them unless they were re-sheathed after use, but you didn't witness that so no reason to believe they were. It might make for a messy doctor but certainly not an unhygienic one.

crackcrack30

I would be inclined to wear gloves ect. to propect myself aswell as the patient......

OP... prior to this poor experience you ( like 96% of the general public) probably couldn't give a toss about waiting times, trollies, security, drunks, dirt, or infection control in our crumbling health care system, and that is why it continues ....sheer apathy (is that the right word) on behalf of public that dosen't need hse healthcare... ..YET:rolleyes:

on a side note - Joan burton should have taken a trip around to the A&E departments to see how our hard earned social welfare was spent on paddys day/night, an absolute fooking disgrace and not to many of these people were the morgage paying type as you may have guessed...........

.

RMD

It isn't a general reflection of the Mater. Due to it's location it's where the lowest of scum end up after OD'ing, fighting, drinking themselves into a coma etc. The medical staff have to deal with this shít hour after hour, it doesn't excuse the lack of hygiene (student doctor by the sound of your description) but something I'd take into account.

A family member of mine has been treated in there for cancer for over a year now, once you get away from the scum and drama it seems like a very professional place.

I wouldn't label the whole hospital on your experience, sadly though an A&E that close to the city centre will face this type of crap.

AngryBollix

seantorious wrote: »

Having been in the mater for 6 months now its no where near as bad as you've described. And most of its existing problems stem from the fact that it has the 2nd highest number of alcholic or intoxicated patients in the world(Acapulco is 1st).

Ps most examinations don't require gloves, though the not washing hands thing is pretty bad

I'd be surprised if this wasnt the exception rather than the rule.

ctrl-alt-delete

The creation of a two tier system is and always will be the problem.

cloud493

Well I was waiting in the beaumount for quite a while last year after losing a fair bit of blood. But it was busy, and they did a good job more or less, so there we are.

Dermighty

subscriber wrote: »

I didn't mention in my OP but I too work in the healthcare sector

I'm a bouncer...so technically I work in the private security sector, entertainment industry, the hospitality sector and in a customer service role. The fact is none of that means anything.

Just because you work in the healthcare sector doesn't mean you're a good judge of hospital hygiene standards.

What you saw was probably a hangable offense in some/all/most hospitals, just highlighting that unless you're a doctor or a nurse or a health inspector then your opinion is no better than any elses opinion.

subscriber

RMD wrote: »

It isn't a general reflection of the Mater. Due to it's location it's where the lowest of scum end up after OD'ing, fighting, drinking themselves into a coma etc. The medical staff have to deal with this shít hour after hour, it doesn't excuse the lack of hygiene (student doctor by the sound of your description) but something I'd take into account.

A family member of mine has been treated in there for cancer for over a year now, once you get away from the scum and drama it seems like a very professional place.

I wouldn't label the whole hospital on your experience, sadly though an A&E that close to the city centre will face this type of crap.

Ya certainly not trying to label the entire hospital but I seen in the ED dept was far from acceptable.. To be fair I cannot comment on other wards / clinics

uck51js9zml2yt

OP at what point did u ask the doctor treating you to wash his hands.?

my wife just spent 4 nights in there with surgery on Wednesday and home Thursday.
she was through to treatment in an hour.was in a room on her own for 24 hours in a+e and moved up to the ward after 24 hours.
the old building just great but u couldn't fault the staff. they looked after her and took the time to explain what was happening. English isn't her first language.

she's now home and in the mend thanks go the staff there.

subscriber

KDII wrote: »

I work in the healthcare sector too.

If actually do too, you will probably know that sick people are occasionally known to be incontinent. The ED staff can't exactly hose down the offender if they happen to smell bad, the person may not have been seen yet and the staff weren't sitting beside them like you were.



Did you see him move from another patient to you without washing his hands? If so, unacceptable practice but not exactly a reflection of the hygiene practices of the entire hospital.



Unnecessary unless he was doing a sterile procedure.




Are you talking about the plastic caps that cover sharps? There is actually nothing dirty about them unless they were re-sheathed after use, but you didn't witness that so no reason to believe they were. It might make for a messy doctor but certainly not an unhygienic one.

I'm certainly not expecting to hose down the waiting area but in my 10 hours in there I never once saw cleaning staff pass through there for any kind of cleaning maintenance. (RE - Waiting area)

Yes I absolutely did see him move from one patient to another without washing..

Yes it was a sterile procedure involving sharps..

dj jarvis

antodeco wrote: »

HIQUA? That's the noise I make when I catch my goolies in my zip.

quote of the millennium , i just peed a little

KDII

What I'm saying is the smell was more than likely coming from another person in the waiting room. There is little the staff can do about this.

And majority of procedures involving sharps do not require sterile gloves. The procedure you had done is none of my concern or business, just making you aware of this.

jonnny68

welcome to the 3rd world Irish health service where you even have to pay for the privlege if you don't have private rip off health insurance or a medical card, i feel sorry for the overworked doctors and nurses it's not their fault it's the incompetent crooks in Government and those before them, both equally as bad as each other, bail the bankers out while the health system deteriorates rapidly and people die on hispital trolleys, of course you would never see any TD on a trolly in a public hospital, if they needed medical care it would be a nice cosy private room with round the clock care not an overcrowded a+e corridor where old people have to spend 36+ hours on a trolley before they are lucky enough to get a bed, my old dear spent this amount of time on a trolley in the Mater last year and could have died she was that ill.

Remember the next time FF/FG/Lab/SF (all equally as bad and corrupt as each other) come knocking on your door come election time (the only time your likely to see them) if you've ever unfortunate enough to have been in a situation like this or similar (tip of the iceberg as well)


rant over